Strategy & Tactical Handbook by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

I would like to point out that usually in the Positive / Attacking strategies I tend to give the Center Backs the "Tight Marking" instruction. I don't think it's necessary in 3 at the Back tactics, but I think it's kind of trail and error.

 

Playing the Mourinho type of tactical gameplay then he tends to change to a lower mentality framework later on in matches. Especially when starting with the Attacking strategy then you can switch down to the Positive Strategy (where you have the Counter team instruction) to kind of create the Mourinho strategy play. Mourinho always tends to buy that Complete Forward type so I think it's good to get a couple of those and have a youngster coming through to have enough cover. The alternative to the Complete Forward (Su) is to have the simple Deep Lying Forward (Su) but I tend not to use the False 9 (Su) because he tends to stand too close to the Attacking Midfielder for my liking. If you want to use a striker that doesn't have the "risky" trait, then I would rework the tactic a little. I feel this version shown represents Mourinho (a little) and seems to do quite well result-wise, there are still alternative ways to do it. If you follow the guidelines regarding roles and duties then you can get that variety and my idea of what is necessary to penetrate your opposition. If you do want to use a Target Man (Su) or a Pressing Forward (Su) then I would change the Attacking Midfield role to the Advanced Playmaker (Su) so you still have that vital "risky" trait some where up the pitch. I tend not to have more than 1 playmaker so the Deep Lying Playmaker I might chose another role to balance out the tactic/strategy.

 

For sure with tight leads late on, Mourinho would "park the bus"... In the Attacking and Very Attacking strategies I had to change the Ball Winning Midfield role to the Center Midfield (At) role because I found it quite necessary to have that extra man running forward to overload/break down stubborn defensive opponents. 

 

Enjoy

 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

loving this thread @Loversleaper! Have just started a new save with Arsenal and after reading through your philosophy have put together a 4231, sort of based on your Pep tactic earlier in the thread.  Kind of hard to figure out where Arsenal are at these days, but think I will adopt the masterclass approach?  About to start the season proper so if it gets some decent results I'll report back!

[HanziZoloman]

@Loversleaper this is a very helpful read. Just tried it with Lorient which has gone well (tactician).

with Kaiserslautern it’s a little difficult. Defensively it’s working good (4141 wide) but my IF left and right are having bad performances. Maybe my team have some work to do in getting more comfortable with the game plans and the tweaking before the games.

But great read!! Thanks much 

[Loversleaper]

@HanziZoloman

 

weirdly enough, set-piece instructions tend to be one of the main reasons for low ratings

[HanziZoloman]

vor 35 Minuten schrieb Loversleaper:

@HanziZoloman

 

weirdly enough, set-piece instructions tend to be one of the main reasons for low ratings

Would you explain a little? Thank you 

[Loversleaper]

In set pieces some of your players could be positioned in an area (place) that doesn’t suit their attributes 

[Loversleaper]

Every time I have done one of these threads, I always include a save game where I go through a whole season with only a few saves. I do this to show how I implement my tactical gameplay and, of course, to show that the principles I have described in the thread are feasible over a longer period of time…

 

But right now, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around what challenge would be interesting for the ones following the thread (and myself). Usually I go with a lower league club but I’m open for ideas 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Loversleaper

[HanziZoloman]

@Loversleaper a lower league club would be fantastic. In my case I would vote for a Club in Germanys 3rd division like Kaiserslautern or Waldhof Mannheim. 

[loisvale]

Always good to see a tactician manager save as this is the trickiest situation to use. Master class and Relegation managers are more clear cut in how to use the ladder. 
 

Good to see progress and journey from tactician to master class. 

[Loversleaper]

I’m not sure if a team like Kaiserslautern or Mannheim would make a decent challenge. Don’t both of these teams have a high reputation and expected to walk the league?

 

Last time I think I did a Truro City save where they were expected to finish somewhere close to the bottom of the league and managed to finish first with only one save (New Years day) from before the first game of the season to the end. It took 2 x 9 hours if I remember it correctly 

[HanziZoloman]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Loversleaper:

I’m not sure if a team like Kaiserslautern or Mannheim would make a decent challenge. Don’t both of these teams have a high reputation and expected to walk the league?

 

Last time I think I did a Truro City save where they were expected to finish somewhere close to the bottom of the league and managed to finish first with only one save (New Years day) from before the first game of the season to the end. It took 2 x 9 hours if I remember it correctly 

Well sounds nice! I like these hardcore sessions. I am not as good as you but still the teams seem to be to good for you. 
The challenge is when you reach first division. I‘d like to see a relegation battler rise. Because I battled against relegation with Kaiserslautern in 1st division for four years. Then with the help from your topic I reached a safe midfield.

Edited March 19, 2022 by HanziZoloman

[Loversleaper]

 

It was hard to find a good challenge plus have the time to actually get a challenge done. Here I settled on Wimbledon, a club that has an interesting past for those that lived through those times. 

 

 

I chose to make everything slightly harder by giving myself a Sunday League reputation which tends to make things slightly interesting in terms of squad handling. 

[Loversleaper]

 

Kind of just breezed through preseason. Normally it's a good idea to get a larger number of friendly games played for two reasons, 1) to get your entire team into match condition and 2) to get your team familiar with your tactics. I made only one singing, a player called Osawe, but there was literally no budget so not many choices here. Signed a few staff and gave out assignments.

 

The tactics I used were the 4-3-3 DM Wide / 4-1-4-1 DM Wide sets. The three main ones being Positive, Balanced and Defensive

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

 

Here's the squad I had at my disposal. Actually quite a poor squad but there are a few talented youngsters so I tried to get them quickly into the starting 11. 

[Loversleaper]

 

 

 

As you can see, did surprisingly well. I went 20 games before losing but I think both would have been avoided as I think I made a few tactical mistakes. In the game against Accrington they were playing Cautious strategy at home and I was only a slight favourite. Up to this point I was playing Balanced as favourite away (wasn't large favourites at any point, probably due to my 17th prediction), Cautious as slight underdog and Defensive as large underdog. Remember, these are more guidelines because I did deviate sometimes from this depending on how the opponent were playing against me strategy-wise and from time to time did switch strategies during games - but actually was quite rare. So, back to the Accrington game then I probably should have moved up to Positive for the starting Strategy. My goalkeeper decided to play his only really terrible game, my right back decided to make one of the worst mistakes I have seen in the game and my Advanced Playmaker played a shocker. We outplayed them totally but it wasn't meant to be - it happens so it's just to get on with it. The home defeat to Portsmouth was also just one of those games, 65% possession and out shot them but in the pouring rain (and playing short passing) it just didn't quite work.

 

Not bothered though because now I got most teams playing defensively against me so that means in the next half of the season I will be playing more aggressively against most of my opponents (playing slightly higher on the Strategy ladder)...

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

 

 

 

 

So, I am up in first place and I am exactly half way through the season. As you can see, I played a half season without saving (from the 1st of August til the 18th December). There is no real doubt in my mind that I will win the league, even with this squad, as I will be more able to put my opponents under more pressure in the second half of the season. I'm not sure when I will be able to complete it because I guess it's going to take me a good 14-18 hours of playing to complete the second half (which I want to do without more saving of course). I did fall asleep during this save but I am not as young as I used to be anymore .

 

I will put the game (when completed) up for download, plus all the tactics from this thread - but it will be placed in a different thread in the Tactics Download section.

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Snootch]

With the constant adapting of mentality and/or instructions do you see issues with how hard the tactical familiarity is hit? 

[Loversleaper]

On 01/04/2022 at 04:14, Snootch said:

With the constant adapting of mentality and/or instructions do you see issues with how hard the tactical familiarity is hit? 

Tactical familiarity and other aspects determine how well your players follow tactical instructions. Your manager reputation also falls into this category. As you can see I chose a Sunday League reputation and used a wider range of the strategy ladder without any real problems when you look at the results and the league position. 

Creating sound  tactics and making good starting strategy decisions plus in game decisions is really the key to long term success. After the initial strategies set up where I decide style of play and which instructions I will implement in the strategies then I won’t really do any tweaking from that point on. If I do, then it might be a Role change or a red card forces me to move a player position but that’s about it. If you make good starting strategy decisions then I find you don’t need to change much afterwards - but it helps gain those extra points if you do change from time to time in those crucial moments.

For example in the Sheffield Wed game in the fixture list. I was in front 2-0 with 10 mins to go… I should have gone Ultra Defensive when they pulled one goal back but hesitated and they equalized a second before the final whistle. I did snatch a late point 1 or 2 times by going all out attack in the final 10 minutes. A few games I did switch down or up a strategy because it was clear something was not right or to see how the match stats/highlight sequences were reacting in that particular match scenario for future reference. 
 

- But all these changes are simple to make once you are all set up…

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

 

My team dominated almost all across the line, especially in the defensive department. In "most shots for" my team is second behind Sunderland and in "most dribbles made" my team is third. A few better wide men and a decent striker should put me up in first place, but need a little war chest that I won't get. Generally my teams never get high on the "tackles won" section but that can actually be a good thing as defensively we are incredibly sound.

 

This takes me to a point I would like to make in regards to many posts out here on the forums asking for help. Many of the screenshots you see there is a pattern in how they are setting up their tactics. For one, for some reason most people like the Positive Strategy. Positive Strategy for most Tactician Managers is a good starting point for your home tactic and you will initially do quite well. Away it will be more tricky, I am not saying it won't do well, but you are playing a lot more daring so the games could be thrown into a more random situation where anything could happen - for me, that's not always such a great place to be when you have different options. The next thing I notice is that a majority of people like to use Wing Backs in a flat 4 back line. The problem with this is that they run forward often ... thus 'often' leaving spaces for your opponent to exploit. I rarely use Wing Back roles --- unless I am playing 3 Center Backs (of course I will in this situation) or with a back 4 then it will be when I need to Attack (strategy) and get men forward. 

 

In my season I have shown above, then I basically have started out as a Tactician Manager. The first half of the season it has gone basically after plan (or even better you might say) and now half way through the season my opponents are starting to 'respect' my team more tactically - this usually means they will attempt to be harder to break down/open up. When you look at the loses I had, it starts to give me the impression that I have to be ready to change my approach to break down/open up stubborn defensive opponents that will try to sit further back and ping the ball around until their Support/Attack duty players move into dangerous positions. This changes the dynamics of the game in my experience and for me this can be dealt with by changing my approach to these games. Since I have basically moved up into the Master-Class position in the league I will have to be more risky/daring in my tactical game play to actually effectively break down/open up my opponents. I don't look at match stats at this point really because in reality this part of the tactical game play requires getting more men forward and putting much more pressure on the opponent. At home I will be moving more up to the Attack Strategy because Positive Strategy tends to fall short, mentality-wise and the pressing settings this strategy has. Your team might seem to struggle a little with the settings in the first attempts but as soon as your team settles in, then you should be getting your result form 'back on track'. Away from home I will move more up to Positive (from Balanced) when I am favourite...

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

Following the advice of @loisvale I have now completed the Tactician journey with the transition into the Master-Class. The reason @loisvale suggested this, is because there is a more significant adaptation in regards to tactical gameplay. Relegation Battlers and Tactician Managers usually are in the same realm in regards to tactical choices > Positive, Balanced and Defensive being the 3 main tactical/strategy choices for my team to get familiar with. The only real difference between the Relegation Battler and the Tactician is that the Relegation Battler will be an underdog a lot more than the Tactician. The Tactician manager can also play Cautious Strategies away from home as slight underdogs more often than I recommend that the Relegation Battler should (which would be extremely rare) - I personally feel you need some sort of talent/pace to play deeper positioned counter-attacking effectively.

 

Transitioning into the Master-Class manager is when your team starts inhabiting the top spots in the league and having good result form. If you are up top and you are in great result form but you suddenly feel like your tactics/strategies start to struggle - this could be an indicator that you opponent is starting to position themselves further down thereby trying to avoid your team's mentality and pressing intensity. They will try to keep the ball in possession until their Support/Attacking duty players further up the pitch get into dangerous positions and then they will try to get a quality chance. There are two scenarios that I feel is essential when trying to read the game > 1: is Closing Down too much where your opponent runs rings around your team's pressure thus carving your team open and 2: is not Closing Down enough so your opponent has time on the ball to pick out that singular devastating strike. These scenarios usually have patterns so it really pays off to know what is going on because then it becomes a lot easier to actually do something about it ... tactically and strategy-wise.

 

A classic example is let's say you normally do quite well playing Positive Strategy at home but at one point you seem to struggle against opponents that you really should be beating. Match Stats might look good but your team simply seems to have difficulties scoring then this is where I might attempt to switch up to Attacking Strategy. Attack Strategy should have more players on Attack Duty which should get more players forward into more dangerous positions and allow your opponent less time on the ball as a result - an attempt to 'overpower' them. You can always try it (lets say) around the 60th minute mark just to see how your team reacts. Sometimes switching to Attack Strategy might need a little time for your team to adjust to due to the more extreme settings it has ... and you might need to have players that have enough talent to carry these settings. Master-Class teams usually react well when playing slightly higher on the strategy ladder than the Tactician and Relegation Battler would.

 

 

 

We were large underdogs in the final so we were delighted with the win of course.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

A quick run down of the second half of the season. The transition to Master-Class happened around the half way season mark, I lost those two games just before completing the first half season and these games really did indicate that my opponents were (starting to play) much more tactical than previously. I started playing more Attacking (strategy) at home and Positive (strategy) away from more frequently (which I didn't do in the first half of the season). My team was unfortunately quite injury prone so we were struggling a bit here and there, especially losing my Hungarian International player (central back) for a few months hurt. I loaned two players to get a little more back up because I felt I was vulnerable at times. Many teams were coming in and bidding on my absolute star player (Assal) and I thought I could keep him because I was refusing all bids and he didn't seem to mind ---- until Everton came in with a 1.5 million pound bid on transfer deadline day which the Board accepted... Luckily they loaned him back to us free of charge but that meant I had an abundance of players on loan but can only use 5 loanees at a time... Annoying but I just had to rotate/juggle a little more with the quad and eventually did okay.

 

 

The Sunderland loss was another of those games where we dominated but Sunderland got a Penalty and from then on I just couldn't find a way through. The Cheltenham loss was another story... my team could secure the play-offs and I had that team meeting to ease the pressure... well I think I chose the wrong option because my team simply crumbled under the pressure and we played terrible. Everyone nervous, making mistakes and eventually I had to slam the team for a miserable performance. The Crewe game was the game to win the League and we did slightly better with the 'other ease' option in the team meeting but clearly my team is fragile under pressure. If I were in the top league (of the country) and playing for the Championship Title then I would definitely have to address that kind of a problem. Sometimes it just takes time for the players to adapt to that type of pressure...

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

 

So, this is how it all ended up:

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

 

Getting the defensive part really working is, for me, the most important aspect in regards to any successful campaign:

 

 

 

Squad used: (Had to rotate a lot)

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Loversleaper]

So, looking back on this save, it should give you an idea how you can play the game. To make things a little more interesting, I am a foreigner with a Sunday League reputation managing a team predicted to finish in 17th position and still managed to pull it off. This style of managing as written in the thread is very feasible although there are several ways to ultimately succeed in the game - but I hope this thread can at least give some ideas on how you can tackle some of the tactical side of the game.

 

 

 

From the 1st of August (a week before season start) I saved only once which was the 18th December and then carried on until the 1st of May (a day after the last game of the season). I will create a new thread in the Tactic Download section where you can download this game plus I will include some of the tactic sets I have used/created so people can get some ideas on how to build tactical/strategy sets. I will add tactic sets in the next few days as time permits....

 

 

I have now created the Strategy & Tactical Handbook by Loversleaper Download Section in the Tactics Sharing Centre (upload/download) and have included the Wimbledon "The New Crazy Gang" save game in the thread for those that would like to take a look. Enjoy 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Loversleaper

[Cam NBH]

Thanks @Loversleaper

[loisvale]

Brilliant as ever. Love your work!

 

[loisvale]

Looked at your save game. Impressive stuff. Noticed that you had mark tighter on your central defenders in all the strategies. Thought this was for positive/attacking strategies. 

Will have a good look at your tactics when you upload them. 

[Loversleaper]

1 hour ago, loisvale said:

Looked at your save game. Impressive stuff. Noticed that you had mark tighter on your central defenders in all the strategies. Thought this was for positive/attacking strategies. 

Will have a good look at your tactics when you upload them. 

 

From the Balanced on down I have the Tight Marking team instruction so I guess it should be the same as ticking it on the individual player. I just make sure I have tight marking for the Centre Backs in the Positive and Attack strategies so it's there (didn't show that in the screen shots) but in the All Out Attack (Very Attacking strategy) I removed them because I feel in that match scenario it's not necessary.

 

I got a huge problem here. I tried to save the tactics into another folder so I could upload them to Media Fire but now in the game I can't get back to the original tactic folder... I have no idea what to do now 

P.S. I think I figured it out so I can start uploading them again... I thought I lost all my tactics for a moment there 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Loversleaper

[loisvale]

4 hours ago, Loversleaper said:

 

From the Balanced on down I have the Tight Marking team instruction so I guess it should be the same as ticking it on the individual player. I just make sure I have tight marking for the Centre Backs in the Positive and Attack strategies so it's there (didn't show that in the screen shots) but in the All Out Attack (Very Attacking strategy) I removed them because I feel in that match scenario it's not necessary.

 

I got a huge problem here. I tried to save the tactics into another folder so I could upload them to Media Fire but now in the game I can't get back to the original tactic folder... I have no idea what to do now 

P.S. I think I figured it out so I can start uploading them again... I thought I lost all my tactics for a moment there 

 

Great. Glad you found them. Look forward to them. 

[jdubsnz]

@Loversleaper this is such a great thread. I had started a journeyman save and took the Antalyaspor job (think it was a mid table finish but I bigged myself up in the interview and need to qualify for Euro Cup II.  Squad is pretty average with some old players. Had built a 4-2-3-1 based on your methodology but got a couple of draws in a row, then switched to 4-3-3 like yours earlier in the thread. Again a couple of draws, but I then went into your saved game, took the tactics you had used and hey presto two 2-0 wins on the bounce!  Looking forward to you loading up the tactics - have really felt moving up and down the tactics slider in those two wins worked wonders

[Loversleaper]

18 minutes ago, jdubsnz said:

@Loversleaper this is such a great thread. I had started a journeyman save and took the Antalyaspor job (think it was a mid table finish but I bigged myself up in the interview and need to qualify for Euro Cup II.  Squad is pretty average with some old players. Had built a 4-2-3-1 based on your methodology but got a couple of draws in a row, then switched to 4-3-3 like yours earlier in the thread. Again a couple of draws, but I then went into your saved game, took the tactics you had used and hey presto two 2-0 wins on the bounce!  Looking forward to you loading up the tactics - have really felt moving up and down the tactics slider in those two wins worked wonders

 

Down towards the bottom of page 1 in this thread I have just included the 4-2-3-1 tactics (Roma screenshots). You can take a look at them, I'm pretty sure you can get these to work 

 

I had to redo the screenshots because the first ones were made during the initial phase of creating tactics but the latest ones were slightly better result wise 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

44 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

 

Down towards the bottom of page 1 in this thread I have just included the 4-2-3-1 tactics (Roma screenshots). You can take a look at them, I'm pretty sure you can get these to work 

 

I had to redo the screenshots because the first ones were made during the initial phase of creating tactics but the latest ones were slightly better result wise 

 

 

nice, will have a look! as an Arsenal fan I'm turned off by anything Mourinho but will make an exception :-) any PIs in the Roma tactics?

[Loversleaper]

16 minutes ago, jdubsnz said:

nice, will have a look! as an Arsenal fan I'm turned off by anything Mourinho but will make an exception :-) any PIs in the Roma tactics?

Take away the pass into space and change passing to shorter. Change a few rolls if you feel like you can replace the existing rolls with something doable. And then change the Mourinho name and call it Arteta 

[jdubsnz]

4 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

Take away the pass into space and change passing to shorter. Change a few rolls if you feel like you can replace the existing rolls with something doable. And then change the Mourinho name and call it Arteta 

hahaha! like it!

[Loversleaper]

I have uploaded the 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 tactic set that I basically used for the Wimbledon save in the thread in the Tactic Sharing forum. I adjusted the set-piece instructions slightly for the ones you can download because I felt the adjustment is slightly better than the ones in the Wimbledon save. You can (of course) use your tailor made ones because the ones I use are fairly simple and basically all on mixed instructions - I am guessing there could be better ways of getting more out of set-plays.

 

In the download version I have kept things fairly simple by having normal Centre Backs (if I have a decent BPD then I might switch one of them to that role - especially in the more aggressive strategies) normal Wingers and a Pressing forward. Think of these roles mentioned as kind of 'default' roles. I used them in the Wimbledon save because mostly lack of quality/options when adapting roles. I used an Inverted Winger on the Left several times and think its good to have different attacking types out wide. Typically a winger/inverted winger or winger/inside forward combination works well. You can use inverted winger/inside forward too and I tend to use that combination in the more attacking strategies where I might have Wing Back roles behind them (which creates more space for them and you attack with more men spread out).

 

The lone striker in the 4-3-3 I would prefer if he has Risky Passes because he will thread the ball through to an Attack Duty Winger and move into position to be on the end of a cross/pass from out wide. You can use Target Man too quite effectively in this (4-3-3) formation. In the 4-1-4-1 the Target Man might struggle a little because since he has the Dribble Less instruction he will probably lose the ball before his team mates catch up with him, also lone strikers with Risky Pass instructions might have difficulties finding that threading pass in this (4-1-4-1) formation. 

 

The Goalkeeper really depends on what type of Goalkeeper he is to determine which roles fits best (counting stars). Usually the Sweeper Keeper is on Defend Duty unless I'm playing the more attacking strategies higher on the Mentality ladder and he is a very good talent (for the league/match) then I might switch up to Support or Attack duty.

 

One of the Full Backs/Wing Backs you can try out the Complete Wing Back role in the Attack/Very Attacking tactics because there are not many places you can have the Roaming instruction which works well in the tactic. Also having a Roaming Striker has it's charm up there but I always keep Roaming/Risky instructions to between 1 to 2 roles and max 3 in the attacking strategies because overdoing it can cause your team to be all over the place and that could effect your team's possession, attacking and defensive phases negatively. The Centre Mid you can change but I think it's important to keep his duty in line with the download version. So, a little room for you to move in regards to Role choices - I just started out basic because most teams will easily cope with the simple roles I have chosen. As shown in the Wimbledon save, these roles are totally feasible but for sure with a little thought in regards to your team's strength you can make something more stronger.

 

In the team instructions you can change also a few things, because in reality, I feel the most important aspect is using good mentality frameworks for your upcoming match. For example Passing instructions won't effect that much and might even complement your personal style of play, so going more direct shouldn't effect much apart from your possession stats for example. If you have a great team you could easily go even more short passing if you want to. Talented teams can play very short passing and wide width at the same time but poor teams might struggle with those same settings.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

17 hours ago, Loversleaper said:

I have uploaded the 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 tactic set that I basically used for the Wimbledon save in the thread in the Tactic Sharing forum. I adjusted the set-piece instructions slightly for the ones you can download because I felt the adjustment is slightly better than the ones in the Wimbledon save. You can (of course) use your tailor made ones because the ones I use are fairly simple and basically all on mixed instructions - I am guessing there could be better ways of getting more out of set-plays.

 

In the download version I have kept things fairly simple by having normal Centre Backs (if I have a decent BPD then I might switch one of them to that role - especially in the more aggressive strategies) normal Wingers and a Pressing forward. Think of these roles mentioned as kind of 'default' roles. I used them in the Wimbledon save because mostly lack of quality/options when adapting roles. I used an Inverted Winger on the Left several times and think its good to have different attacking types out wide. Typically a winger/inverted winger or winger/inside forward combination works well. You can use inverted winger/inside forward too and I tend to use that combination in the more attacking strategies where I might have Wing Back roles behind them (which creates more space for them and you attack with more men spread out).

 

The lone striker in the 4-3-3 I would prefer if he has Risky Passes because he will thread the ball through to an Attack Duty Winger and move into position to be on the end of a cross/pass from out wide. You can use Target Man too quite effectively in this (4-3-3) formation. In the 4-1-4-1 the Target Man might struggle a little because since he has the Dribble Less instruction he will probably lose the ball before his team mates catch up with him, also lone strikers with Risky Pass instructions might have difficulties finding that threading pass in this (4-1-4-1) formation. 

 

The Goalkeeper really depends on what type of Goalkeeper he is to determine which roles fits best (counting stars). Usually the Sweeper Keeper is on Defend Duty unless I'm playing the more attacking strategies higher on the Mentality ladder and he is a very good talent (for the league/match) then I might switch up to Support or Attack duty.

 

One of the Full Backs/Wing Backs you can try out the Complete Wing Back role in the Attack/Very Attacking tactics because there are not many places you can have the Roaming instruction which works well in the tactic. Also having a Roaming Striker has it's charm up there but I always keep Roaming/Risky instructions to between 1 to 2 roles and max 3 in the attacking strategies because overdoing it can cause your team to be all over the place and that could effect your team's possession, attacking and defensive phases negatively. The Centre Mid you can change but I think it's important to keep his duty in line with the download version. So, a little room for you to move in regards to Role choices - I just started out basic because most teams will easily cope with the simple roles I have chosen. As shown in the Wimbledon save, these roles are totally feasible but for sure with a little thought in regards to your team's strength you can make something more stronger.

 

In the team instructions you can change also a few things, because in reality, I feel the most important aspect is using good mentality frameworks for your upcoming match. For example Passing instructions won't effect that much and might even complement your personal style of play, so going more direct shouldn't effect much apart from your possession stats for example. If you have a great team you could easily go even more short passing if you want to. Talented teams can play very short passing and wide width at the same time but poor teams might struggle with those same settings.

 

 

nice one, will give these a go.  Had a great win last night following your tactician methodology against a much better team - stayed in cautious mode until it felt right (around 70 minutes), bumped up to positive for 10, nicked a goal and then back down to cautious to record a 1-0 win. loved it!

[loisvale]

As ever this system works well. Couple of questions.

1. If employing a BPD do you find it important to have him on the different side of the AP?

2.  Why not use pass into space in the cautious strategy? It seems to me to be a good instruction when countering and nicking a goal?

 

3. A CF support seems like a good idea if striker can handle the role from balanced strategy up. Keep at PF support on cautious strategy down.  Agree?

[Loversleaper]

5 hours ago, loisvale said:

As ever this system works well. Couple of questions.

1. If employing a BPD do you find it important to have him on the different side of the AP?

2.  Why not use pass into space in the cautious strategy? It seems to me to be a good instruction when countering and nicking a goal?

 

3. A CF support seems like a good idea if striker can handle the role from balanced strategy up. Keep at PF support on cautious strategy down.  Agree?

 

1: I tend to do it so I attack different areas of the pitch. it seems to open up possibilities but at the same time I think anything can work as long as you have the right players/set-up.

 

2: I do in some of the other tactics in the screenshots on page one in the thread. In quite a lot of the tactics I use the Pass into Space instructions. As mentioned, I think strategy usage is one of the more important aspects and a lot of the other instructions are more to make the strategies a little more sound and/or you can create styles of play. 

 

3: Some of the roles I feel crave quite a lot of talent to get the most out of them. The Complete Forward tries to pass through balls so with pushed up wingers he has options. If he is alone up there like in a 4-1-4-1 formation for example, he might play badly or struggle due to him not having options for his traits.. So I agree with your mindset when it's a good idea to use those type of roles and when to use other roles in other situations. Pressing forward is a perfect role for a striker who is up there all alone.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

@Loversleaperso I left the Antalyaspor job for the Newcastle job. They are rock bottom of the league and in terrible form. Drew with West Ham and lost to Sp*rs, and now have Man City and Chelsea next. How would you approach a team in bad form to get them out of a relegation battle? Positive, balanced defensive as per your opening posts but would you stick with a 433?

[Loversleaper]

@jdubsnz

 

 City and Chelsea, home or away?

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

33 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

@jdubsnz

 

 City and Chelsea, home or away?

 

 

these are the upcoming games - I took over just before the West Ham game. As you can see, they are on a bad run! FYI we got 2 red cards vs Sp*rs

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by jdubsnz

[Loversleaper]

@jdubsnz
 

This is going to be really difficult regardless. Squad moral must be rock bottom so you are going to have to work on that … 

 

but I would for sure use Cautious an both those games as a starting point and keep Balanced close by maybe later on if Cautious strategy is not doing so well. You can always bump it up around the 60th minute and see how the change works for future reference. If you have a good result 10 minutes before time then change to the Very Defensive strategy and hope you can hang on…

 

This situation is going to be really hard for a little while. Away to CP = Defensive. Home against Villa = Balanced and maybe Positive somewhere in the second half to see if you can grab something. Away to Wolves and Arsenal = Defensive. Home against Brighton try Positive but consider Balanced or switching to. 
 

Very Attacking if you are behind a goal in the last 10 minutes or Very Defensive to hang on to points. You really need to turn your result form around by all means necessary. Good luck and keep updating, would like to see how this pans out.
 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

19 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

@jdubsnz
 

This is going to be really difficult regardless. Squad moral must be rock bottom so you are going to have to work on that … 

 

but I would for sure use Cautious an both those games as a starting point and keep Balanced close by maybe later on if Cautious strategy is not doing so well. You can always bump it up around the 60th minute and see how the change works for future reference. If you have a good result 10 minutes before time then change to the Very Defensive strategy and hope you can hang on…

 

This situation is going to be really hard for a little while. Away to CP = Defensive. Home against Villa = Balanced and maybe Positive somewhere in the second half to see if you can grab something. Away to Wolves and Arsenal = Defensive. Home against Brighton try Positive but consider Balanced or switching to. 
 

Very Attacking if you are behind a goal in the last 10 minutes or Very Defensive to hang on to points. You really need to turn your result form around by all means necessary. Good luck and keep updating, would like to see how this pans out.
 

 

thanks mate, will let you know how I get on!

[Loversleaper]

Which strategy did you use for the West Ham game?

[jdubsnz]

17 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

Which strategy did you use for the West Ham game?

I actually used a different strategy in the second half as we were getting pumped, but just that once

[jdubsnz]

37 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

@jdubsnz
 

This is going to be really difficult regardless. Squad moral must be rock bottom so you are going to have to work on that … 

 

but I would for sure use Cautious an both those games as a starting point and keep Balanced close by maybe later on if Cautious strategy is not doing so well. You can always bump it up around the 60th minute and see how the change works for future reference. If you have a good result 10 minutes before time then change to the Very Defensive strategy and hope you can hang on…

 

This situation is going to be really hard for a little while. Away to CP = Defensive. Home against Villa = Balanced and maybe Positive somewhere in the second half to see if you can grab something. Away to Wolves and Arsenal = Defensive. Home against Brighton try Positive but consider Balanced or switching to. 
 

Very Attacking if you are behind a goal in the last 10 minutes or Very Defensive to hang on to points. You really need to turn your result form around by all means necessary. Good luck and keep updating, would like to see how this pans out.
 

 

pretty happy with this, started with cautious then bumped it to balanced second half and then very defensive for the last 8. Only had one shot in the first half though

 

[Loversleaper]

I would give a fine for poor performances for those playing under 6.5 ratings. Check their stats after the match so you can offer correct criticism and then fine them half a week 6.4 and a full week 6.1

 

But strategy-wise your change worked and the game played out basically how I would have as well. You can play Balanced it seems and you can move up and down on the strategy ladder (during the match) depending how the match is going, so in that sense your team has some quality. 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

19 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

I would give a fine for poor performances for those playing under 6.5 ratings. Check their stats after the match so you can offer correct criticism and then fine them half a week 6.4 and a full week 6.

 

But strategy-wise your change worked and the game played out basically how I would have as well. You can play Balanced it seems and you can move up and down on the strategy ladder depending how the match is going, so in that sense your team has some quality. 

oooh, where is the option to fine players? is it always there or just an option from time to time?

[Loversleaper]

First I would check the post match Player Statistics and see if I can find out why they played badly and then > Player Profile > Discuss > Warn Player > Last Game Poor Performance > accurate criticism 

 

and then:
 

Player profile > Discuss > Discipline Player > Poor Performance > and then fine the player for Poor Performance

 

The option will pop up in the Discuss section if they played badly. Also if they are poor form over 5 matches so you can also criticize or praise their current form (which helps motivate/moral)

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Loversleaper

[jdubsnz]

34 minutes ago, Loversleaper said:

First I would check the post match Player Statistics and see if I can find out why they played badly and then > Player Profile > Discuss > Warn Player > Last Game Poor Performance > accurate criticism 

 

and then:
 

Player profile > Discuss > Discipline Player > Poor Performance > and then fine the player for Poor Performance

 

The option will pop up in the Discuss section if they played badly. Also if they are poor form over 5 matches so you can also criticize or praise their current form (which helps motivate/moral)

 

 

 

Unbelievable. Gave away a 93rd minute penalty.